John W. Rafalko, Ed.D., PA-C

Professor Rafalko has been a PA educator since 1988 at Essex Community College PA Program and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore surgical residency, in 1997 at the Medical College of Ohio, and from 1999 to the present at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) PA Department. Since his academic appointment at NSU he has been the Course Director and lecturer in the Clinical Medicine & Surgery and Clinical Procedures & Surgical Skills courses.

His clinical interests are in emergency medicine and surgery, while remaining nationally certified and credentialed in two states. Committee involvement includes specific interest in academic review, curriculum, and faculty development with research, presentations, and scholarship in these areas.

As an undergraduate student Dr. Rafalko completed emergency medical training as an EMT/Paramedic from Miami Dade Community College and was employed as a prehospital and then emergency department provider at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed his undergraduate education while employed at "Shock Trauma" MIEMSS in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Towson State University, graduating with a B.S. in Health Science in 1984. Professional medical training continued as an entry level Associate of Arts graduate from the Physician Assistant (PA) Program at Essex Community College in 1986.

This was followed by postgraduate surgical residency training with a certificate from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY in 1988. Subsequently, he directed the Post Graduate PA Surgical Residency at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore for 10 years, concentrating in general surgery and trauma, while completing a MS degree in Health Science from Towson State University in 1994.

Professor Rafalko completed his Ed.D. doctorate program from the NSU Fischler College of Education - Program for Higher Educational Leadership with a health care education specialization. His applied dissertation is titled "Comparing Physician Assistant Students' Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality Types and Learning Styles".

Community activities and interests include heart disease prevention, trauma care, and disaster medical relief missions. Hobbies include being a husband, father of two children, sailor, jogger, swimmer, and Little League baseball coach.